Timber Frame vs Pre-Engineered Steel?

[teveritt]

I'm looking at building a 40'W x60'L x 16'H building and am wondering whether anyone has experience with the pros and cons of a wood frame pole barn compared to a pre-engineered all-steel building? In both cases, I would have a concrete floor poured. It looks like the concrete would be more expesive for a steel building due to footing requirements. However, the steel seems to be easier to assemble yourself and you don't have to worry about insect or water damage plus you get full height with a clear span steel building. A big concern is condensation since I'll be storing a camper, truck, tractor, and farm equipment in the building. Certainly wouldn't want them rusting which is why I'm building the barn in the first place.

Anybody have any feedback on this?

Thanks in advance!

 

[RxRatedZ71]

I built a wooden pole barn, 30x40x12, using a kit. I chose wood b/c i was more familiar with the building technique. While it does have trusses that get in the way sometimes, i've found it easier to customize it after it was completed. I poured the floor after the build was finished. Then I installed a loft using my last 2 trusses at the rear. If you're having it built, go with the best price and quality for the money.

 

[BeezFun]

Anybody have any feedback on this?

You can get metal trusses that sit on top of the poles and have brackets built right in for the purlins. If clear span is the main issue, that would allow you to have a large clear span with a relatively light truss, gives you good head room because they don't have a bottom chord, and use wood to frame the rest.

 

[smiley123]

My suggestion is you can buy clear span galvanized steel building. It wont get rust soon. I got my pre-painted building from Dalal Steel Industries two years before. Really its good . . . Visit this site to get some more ideas: Leading manufacturer of steel metal buildings - DalalSteel

 

[Raspy]

I really like steel construction.

Here are some pix of my project. I started with a 48 X 60 steel frame with a 12 foot extension to get 60 X 60. Then added a 14 X 14 roof section in front for an entry porch. I finished it out as a two bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home with a 700 sq ft back porch. The garage portion is about about 30 x 36.

My puppy sleeping in my pocket during a break in the action.

 

[ch47dpilot]

Raspy, who did you go with? What was the cost of the kit? How did the "crane" work to put up trusses? I was thinking about something similar. Looking at putting up a 60' span x 15' high, will need to lift center about 20' off ground.

 

[Raspy]

I bought a Skytrak to do the project. It's the perfect tool for setting the trusses in place, standing up the end walls and for doing the roof. I built a work platform for it and was able to take up the purlins and a couple of guys to set them, then the roof sheathing and the packs of shingles. Next will be the solar panels. The vertical posts were all set with my tractor and the rig in the previous set of pictures. It's just a simple A frame, set in the bucket and held with chains.

My steel was built by Miracle Steel. Unfortunately, they went out of business by expanding right before the crash. But the steel is top quality and a lot of it will be exposed in the house. I love the trusses.

I went with rigid box bracing instead of diagonal wire bracing to allow windows and an unobstructed back porch. Then I sheeted the whole structure with 5/8" OSB and that made it far more rigid than the original design. The seismic and wind load design gets transformed when you sheet the roof and the walls, and add interior framing. What was once designed to be wires under tension and rigid horizontal box stiffeners, etc, with a little bit of
"spring" or "flex", becomes very solid with the 5/8' sheeting and the roof membrane of 7/8" OSB. The roof can't peel off starting with the eves because they are made of steel structures bolted to the maim posts. Extremely strong and won't sag over time.

The roof was originally designed to be metal directly on the purlins, but I put two layers of 7/16" OSB and then a composition roof. This allows a very tight structure and a way to insulate with R38. It also allowed the installation of bolted down solar brackets and foot traffic.

The exterior is Hardie plank concrete for fire protection and a long maintenance free life.

The exterior is done except for the front door which I am building from box steel and glass block. The inside is all framed and being wired.

Going with steel is such a great way to do this because it allows any interior design you want. All interior walls are partition walls and you can have vaulted ceilings or anything you can imagine. I also added a window seat by building a steel frame outside the perimeter.

The "boxiness" of a steel building is overcome, when transformed into a house, by the addition of steel overhang kits, extended roof purlins for eves, the steel entry structure, the back porch extension and the window seat.

 

[ch47dpilot]

I'm looking at Rhino buildings out of Dallas TX area. Would love to find a SkyTrak, but at about $10000+ can't justify it for one project. But I know I'd find more if I had one, but 10 grand on the cheap end is still a lot.

 

[igpoobah]

My vote is for steel

May I suggest Heritage buildings, which is where I work

Steel Buildings | Metal Buildings | Storage Buildings | HeritageBuildings.com
(877) 293-4215

Been around since '79, will be here for many years to come.

I manage engineering/drafting. Our customer service is second to none and I will personally oversee your project if you let me know that you ordered from us.

 

[teveritt]

OK, seems like about equal for both types of construction. Thanks everyone for the replies. I thought an all metal building would be easier to put up, but it sounds like they're about equal. It's really based on what you're familiar with.

I've heard that the concrete for an all-steel building is more expensive because you basically pour a concrete slab for timber frame construction, whereas you need more of a foundation for a steel building. Is that correct? A steel building needs piers for the metal columns and footings between the columns?

I like the idea of metal since it withstands insects, water, warping, twisting, splitting...but, if I use #1 yellow pine treated wouldn't it be almost as good?

Raspy, I like that radiant floor heating you put in. That's not a bad idea for the winters here in VA where I could use an outdoor wood stove to heat the water...hmmmm

 

[igpoobah]

For a metal building you need footers and piers at your column locations. Not a big deal. Still pour it monolithic, just got to get it dug out first.

 

[EddieWalker]

Harder to get a metal building to look as good as a stick frame building. Harder to get a steeper roof pitch with a metal building.

Metal is faster to build and has less maintenance over they ears, but if it starts to rust, it's a HUGE nightmare.

If you want to do anything with the walls, or have interior walls, you will build a stick frame anyway.

Easier to get big open space with a metal building.

Crew can put up a metal building in a couple of days. Stick framing will take twice as long, depending on siding and roofing.

Eddie

 

[Piston]

My vote is certainly for timber frame buildings over steel buildings, however it's more personal preference. A timber frame to me, has character and beauty, whereas a steel building doesn't. You can still have a clear span timber frame but it would be cost effective. I also prefer the building style which has proven itself for over 2,000 years.
There are many timber frame buildings that have lasted well over a few hundred years. I wouldn't worry in the least about it not lasting through your lifetime, the main killer of these old buildings are inadequate foundations and roof leaks.

Steel buildings are great for strength and won't ever burn down, so there is a plus.

 

[prestigesteel]

Most steel buildings we do are on engineered slabs. So no footings and piers are needed.

Jason Gullett
Prestige Steel Buildings Canada – 1-888-314-5751 Ontario
(888) 314-5751

 

[roadhunter]

Pole barns are about a cheap of construction as you will get per sq ft. They are simple to build (up to a certain size) and do not require the concrete work that a steel building requires.

Steel buildings generally cost more but are going to hold up better long term with concrete footings where a pole barn posts in the ground will eventually rot in most soil conditions.

With steel prices being low now is a good time to go for steel if you can afford the extra cost (primarily concrete) IMO as it is a superior product.

Many pole barns will have 29 gauge steel where a steel framed building is more likely to have heavier 26 gauge sheeting.

But as Eddie mentioned the wood framing of the pole barn is easier to work with if you are going to be doing additional wood framing in the building.

 

[prestigesteel]

We actually install steel buildings with zero concrete now if you want to save money and just have a gravel floor. That way the cost is much lower and you can put the floor in later. As for the wood framing there's really not much of a difference between a steel building and a wood building. The girt spacing can be set a 4' and the standard purlin spacing is also. We have finished the interior of the steel building with all types of material. The bonus is you can pressure wash it and not worry about mold or rot.

Jason Gullett
Prestige Steel Buildings
(888) 314-5751

 

[roadhunter]

I've never seen a steel building that didn't' require concrete work. We always installed concrete piers as well as a perimeter footing below frost line. On bigger buildings the piers across from each other are connected with a tie beam to keep the piers from wanting to spread apart under load. That' is what ends up driving the costs up from my experience but it is a much higher quality construction than stacks of 3 pressure treated 2x6's stuck in the ground around the perimeter.

 

[prestigesteel]

We have started using heli piles. No ground work required and fast.

Jason Gullett
Prestige Steel Buildings
(888) 314-5751

 

[BleedingOrange]

Interesting, what are heli piles ?

 

[mike69440]

Interesting, what are heli piles ?

Heli-Pile(R) Helical Piles Manufacturer: Home

I guess you use a post hole digger to install?